Christmas dinner and Christmas creepers
by Simplybofa
Summary: "You never say no, Jane. That's what I love about you." A Jane/Bingley oneshot. Mr. Wickham advances himself on Jane Bingley at the Pemberly family Christmas party. Will Mr. Bingley come to her rescue?


"**You never say no, Jane. That's what I love about you." A Jane/Bingley fic based on the perfect line from the movie 27 Dresses. Mr. Wickham advances himself on Jane Bennett at the Pemberly family Christmas party. Will Mr. Bingley come to her rescue?**

**I do not own any characters of the book Pride and Prejudice or of the movie 27 Dresses.**

Pemberly House, Christmas Eve

"Mamma." "Mrs. Bennett, welcome."

The two present owners of Pemberly and resident hosts of the Christmas family dinner, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy, greeted Mrs. and the immediately following Mr. Bennett.

Pemberly was a whirlwind of activity. Mr. and Mrs. Wickham, Miss Catherine Bennett, Miss Mary Bennett and Miss Georgiana Darcy were gathered already in the ballroom with refreshments. It was a splendid reunion for the two youngest Bennett sisters, as they had much to catch up on. Missing from the group only were Mr. and Mrs. Bingley, who should have arrived at any minute; and Mr. and Mrs. Collins, who had regretfully been detained at Lady Catherine's own Christmas party. Mr. Collins fretted to extreme extent and was sure to make his apologies well known to his cousin Eliza, who had been looking forward very much to visiting with her dear friend Charlotte again. Mr. Darcy, however, could not have been more nonplussed by Mr. Collin's regretful decline and hastily assured Mr. Collins that his and his wife's presences would be missed, no matter how his internal emotions might dispute his claim.

As Mrs. Darcy escorted her parents to the ballroom, Mr. Darcy awaited Mr. and Mrs. Bingley's arrival. He was still waiting when his wife joined him again in the grand foyer.

"Still no sign of them?" Elizabeth asked her husband. Darcy turned to look at her as she entered the room, shaking his head.

"No, I think they might have been detained." He mused, wrapping his arm around his wife's waist. Together they waited for the Bingleys for another half hour, unafraid that their guests were in any way bored or at a loss. The group of people assembled in the ballroom would have no trouble making mischief of their own to occupy their time.

At last, at a quarter to eight, Mr. Bingley's carriage drew to a stop in front of Pemberly. The footman opened the carriage door, handing Jane through. Elizabeth freed herself of her husband and ran straight to her sister.

"I am so sorry we've kept you." Jane blushed as she warmly embraced her sister, kissing her cheek. "We've just received a letter from Charles' sister Caroline."

"Were the proceedings of the letter pressing? Is she alright?" Elizabeth forced herself to inquire after Charles's very less-loved sibling Caroline. Darcy drew to a stop behind his wife, catching the tail end of Elizabeth's inquiry and shaking hands with Bingley.

"She is perfectly fine." Jane reassured. "She has only just found out she is expecting a child. Naturally Charles and I needed to reply to her letter immediately and send it off with the courier, who was kind enough to wait." Jane smiled good-naturedly at her sister and her sister's husband. Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief and exclaimed. She and Jane embraced again in celebration.

"Congratulations, Bingley. It pleases me that your sister and her new husband are doing so well for themselves." Darcy patted Bingley's back.

"As it does me." Bingley smiled at Darcy. Darcy inquired after Bingley's other sister and her husband as the four of them joined the rest of their party in the ballroom.

The joyful greetings all around the family filled the ballroom with a happy buzz and the small string quartet entertained the large family with music that all were delighted to dance to. Jane and Charles, however, bowed out after only two dances, choosing to stand by and observe. Mary, also, did not dance- she chose, instead, to read by the fire that lit the room.

Jane's cheeks were colored and Bingley could not have looked happier, Elizabeth noted as she ducked under her husband's arm in an especially fast dance. She comforted herself knowing that they were happy and content and enjoyed the rest of the dances.

"If you would like to dance, please don't let me hold you. I'm sure Kitty would love to have you as a partner for a couple of numbers." Jane remarked. Bingley noted the color on his wife's cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes as she looked at him lovingly.

"I would like nothing more than to stay by your side, dear." He smiled at her, reassurance in his tone of voice. Jane shifted her gaze to her hands, which were gripping the skirt of her dress. She looked, Charles noted, as if she had more to say.

"Charles," Jane began. She bit her lip in concentration, focusing on her next words. "I do not know if we should tell them all tonight."

"You do not think it wise? Or are you not ready?"

"I don't know." Chagrin colored Jane's cheeks again. "I know only that I want just Mr. and Mrs. Darcy to know by the end of the night. No one else. Is that foolish?" Her husband tilted his head at her.

"Are you mad?" She asked him. "I know you want everyone to know. I know it is selfish of me, but I just don't feel prepared to deal with the responses our declaration might generate tonight."

"I am not mad." Charles tilted his wife's chin up. He looked into her blue eyes and honestly felt as though if Jane were to ask him to keep it a secret until the end of time, he would try his utmost to grant her wish. "I am so proud of you, and I love you, and I think you have made the right decision."

"Thank you." Jane smiled at him in beautiful relief and he kissed her cheek quickly.

At dinner, Elizabeth and Jane talked next to each other while enjoying the first course of the night- braised duck.

"You will not think ill of me, dear sister, if I declare my apprehensions toward Mr. George Wickham still very present." Elizabeth inquired after her sister.

"I think you very levelheaded and intuitive, Lizzy." Jane reassured her sister, lowering her voice to finish her statement. "I myself have felt unnerved by Wickham's stares tonight. I cannot seem to put his past deviance out of my head, no matter how well he covers it up now."

"Thank you for that." Elizabeth said. "I feel less like my youngest sister and her friends gossiping at the one of the Duchess of Devonshire's parties, now, with you in agreement with me. I rather think I will keep close to Fitzwilliam tonight, now, and I might advise you to do the same."

"Wise conclusion, sister. I have also something to add to our conversation." Jane abruptly said.

"Have you? Lets hear it, then, Jane." Elizabeth smiled at her sister, knowing that when Jane contributed new subjects to conversations they were never boring. Always new or exciting or intuitive.

"Elizabeth, it is large news to be kept secret for now, can you promise me that?"

"I can." Elizabeth looked at her sister expectantly.

"I am also with child." Jane whispered into her sister's ear. Elizabeth felt a gasp build in her throat and stifled it immediately.

"That is momentous news, Jane." She struggled to keep her tone and words nondescript. "I am elated, simply elated." She waved her fork noncommittally, meanwhile squeezing her sister's hand excitedly under the table.

"You may inform Mr. Darcy. Mr. Bingley wishes him to know, as do I." Jane smiled at her sister, appreciative of her support.

"I will, indeed." Elizabeth giggled. "Oh! 'Tis the reason you and your husband chose not to partake in the wondrous merriments of dancing tonight?"

"Indeed." Jane fought the growing grin on her face. She looked across the table at her husband, who appeared to be deep in conversation with Mr. Bennett and who- on further inspection- smiled at his wife secretly from his seat across said table.

Dinner passed with five courses and immediately after, as the card tables were being set up by Lydia and Mary, Elizabeth pulled her husband aside to tell him of the good news.

"This is wonderful!" He smiled at his wife, who jokingly quieted him with a delicate finger placed over her lips. Darcy smiled at her mischievous gesture and lowered his voice. "You were told over dinner? It is a wonder you did not inform the whole family with your usual enthusiasm." Elizabeth playfully nudged him in the ribs.

"Elizabeth?" Georgiana pardoned her interruption with a small curtsy. "Would you kindly play at my table? I'm not much good at cards and I could certainly use your help."

"I'm afraid I'm not much good for cards, either." Elizabeth replied. "However, I would love to accompany you. Maybe we could persuade your brother to join us, for though he is much better at cards than either of us, he always lets me win." Elizabeth slipped an arm through her sister-in-law's, glancing back at her husband as she revealed his secret. Darcy, unwilling to leave his wife and sister alone to discuss more of his private affairs, followed close behind them.

Mr. Bingley joined the group of three Darcys at their card table, explaining with slight worry upon inquiry from his sister-in-law that his wife had only just excused herself to the washroom.

Jane, on her way to the washroom as her husband had explained, was having more and more trouble keeping up her façade as the night went on. She would only admit to herself that she had not been feeling very well all evening. Even before she and Charles had left for Pemberly, Jane was struggling with feelings of nausea and a slight headache. She did not, however, design to ruin any of her family members' festive night by claiming to be sick. Throughout the night she kept reassuring herself that she was fine. Although she had made it through a large portion of the night, she could not keep her nausea at bay any longer and had excused herself. Though her husband was suspicious, she felt that she had successfully reassured him.

Jane clutched her reticule and made her way down one of the many halls of Pemberly, wanting only to get far enough away that any chance meetings would not occur. Once she was satisfied that she had put enough distance between herself and the partygoers, she let herself fall onto a plush bench that was nestled in the crook of a large window at the end of the hall she was currently occupying.

Once off her feet, she felt surprisingly better, only her headache lingering. She placed a hand on her chest and even though there was no one in the corridor with her, she struggled with herself to remain upright and demure. She tucked a loose curl behind her ear and steadied her breathing. She knew she could not stay away for long without her husband deeming it necessary to start looking for her.

"Hello," Jane started, surprised at the unexpected greeting. She looked up to see Mr. Wickham ambling down the corridor toward her with a lazy gait. "My dear sister."

"Mr. Wickham." Jane rose to her feet, swaying slightly before righting herself. "What are you doing here?" She inquired after him with polite innocence.

"I should ask the same of you, Jane." He came to a stop in front of her, his fingers taping the wall beside them one by one. "What is a flower like you doing so far from the center of the party? You know games of cards have already started. It isn't polite to prolong your absence when your presence is so sorely missed." He jovially admonished her. Jane felt a bead of sweat tickle the back of her neck, though it was fairly cold and drafty in the hall. Outside, it looked like it had begun to snow.

"You only just caught me. I was fixing to begin my journey back to the party." Jane edged around Wickham's broad frame. "Have I interrupted your journey somewhere? Should you be getting back to it?" She asked him hopefully. Wickham grinned at Jane, whom he noted was very easily flustered.

"I rather thought you might like to accompany me on a trek through the vast halls of Pemberly. They have always left me wanting more, ever since childhood. I could show you around… If you like." Wickham's suggestion made the hair on Jane's arms stand on end.

"I think I should do as you said earlier. It is rude of me to stayed away so long. I should be getting back." Jane took a step toward the fork in the hall. Wickham, however, was quicker and headed her off, blocking her way.

"I think it might also be rude to refuse an honest gentlemen's request." Wickham ventured, reaching out to smooth back the stray piece of hair that had earlier plagued Jane herself. It took almost all of Jane's might to suppress the tremor that built in her spine at his touch.

"My many most ardent apologies, then, sir, but I feel that I must be getting back." Jane breathed, trying again in vain to out-step the man in front of her. Jane recalled with irony her earlier conversation with her sister Elizabeth and mentally scolded herself for getting into this situation.

"Jane." Wickham placed his hands on either of her arms. His touch was gentle, barely there, but it was enough to send Jane's heart racing. Her head began to hurt worse. "Don't you feel this?" He gripped her arms tighter. "I think you and I should retire to a more private room, yes? We don't want a wonderful opportunity like this to go to waste."

Jane's head whirled. She tried to pull herself out of Wickham's grasp while turning her mind over and over for a solution to the problem she had gotten herself into. Wickham simply walked Jane back to her bench, sitting them both down.

"Look at this logically, Mrs. Bingley." Wickham appeared to be attempting to reason with her. "You and I have never had a chance to sincerely explore our feelings for each other. I'm simply suggesting that we do just that and see where it takes us." Jane's eyes widened with fright as Wickham's words sunk in. She was still struggling in his grasp and thought herself only moments away from screaming for help, no matter the fuss it would make.

"Oh, don't look at me that way." Wickham pulled Jane to his chest, wrapping his arms around her. Jane froze, unwilling to believe this was actually happening to her. "Would you please entertain the idea of letting me get to know you?" Wickham whispered in Jane's ear. His breath was hot and moist and it tickled the hair wrapped around the back of her forcefully proffered ear.

She was speechless.

"See, dear…" Jane tensed at Wickham's use of her husbands term of endearment for her. "That's what I like about you, Jane." Wickham placed a hand on Jane's leg, the two appendages separated only by a thin layer of muslin. Jane felt as if she were about to faint.

"You never say no." Wickham breathed into her ear again, placing his lips on the skin just below it in a light kiss.

"Jane?" Charles's beautiful voice sounded, loud and authoritative, down the long corridor. Wickham stood, immediately. Jane simply sank back into her seat, lightheaded with relief.

"Bingley." Wickham greeted him with polite patronization. "Are you come to see your wife? I've found her, you know." He leaned against the wall opposite Charles Bingley's approaching form and watched him stride toward them both.

"What have you done here? What has proceeded?" Bingley stopped an inch from Wickham, looking at him with hatred, knowing very well what he luckily stumbled upon on his search for his wife. He looked at Jane when Wickham remained silent.

"Charles?" Jane called his name, attempting to stand. She wanted desperately to be behind her husband, safe from the prying hands of her unfortunate relation. Before she could join him, however, Jane felt her blood rush to her head and could not fight herself in falling back to her seat.

"Jane!" Charles rushed to his wife. "Jane." He repeated her name, drawing her into his lap. "Can you see me? Are you awake?"

"I'm sorry I detained the card game." Jane sighed, looking up at her husband. "I haven't felt very well."

"What happened?" Bingley inquired after her wife, looking up only then to see that Wickham had fled the scene. "What did he do to you?" Jane shuddered.

"Charles, please just don't let me alone in monumental hallways anymore." Jane sighed, leaning her head on her husbands shoulder. She could hear Charles's heart beating erratically through his jacket.

"God," Bingley angrily exclaimed to himself, furious that he had allowed his wife to get into such a stressful and dangerous situation. He kissed the top of her head, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm so sorry Jane." Jane had never heard her husband's voice so enriched with anger and passion.

The couple let the next hour pass on the bench, breaking their silence only to whisper simple declarations of love to each other. Before it was eleven, Jane was asleep in Bingley's arms and Elizabeth had come to find them.

She knelt down by the bench, inquiring after the state of her sister with a very worried expression. Bingley informed his sister-in-law as much as he could, reassured her of her sister's peaceful slumber and inquired after their family.

"Mother and father have urged Kitty and Mary to retire along with them and Mr. Darcy is currently accompanying his sister to her bedchamber. Wickham and Lydia were last together on the balcony." Bingley's brow furrowed at the mention of his wife's assailant. "I think I shall find Darcy and inform him of our situation. I do not think I want Mr. and Mrs. Wickham to stay the rest of the night at Pemberly. They live only a few short hours away. I do not think it too much to ask to have Darcy send them home early…" She mused.

"I think that is wise. I should like him very far away from Pemberly before I am free to pursue him. I know it would not be pertinent, but I do not think myself capable of stopping once on his trail." Bingley declared, whispering so as to keep his wife in slumber. Mrs. Darcy nodded in agreement.

"Do you think it smart to take Jane up to your room? I've sent the maid to ready a fresh bath and to turn down the bed…" She suggested. Bingley assented, rising with Jane cradled in his arms. He was able to lift her with relative ease, shifting her only slightly and not enough to rouse her from sleep.

"I will find Mr. Darcy and settle the matter." Elizabeth looked worriedly at her sister. "I know she is in good hands." She smiled at her brother-in-law.

"Thank you, Elizabeth." Bingley's use of her first name was natural and full of gratitude. She smiled at him in reassurance and hurried down the hall.

"Charles?" Jane woke as her husband placed her gently on the bed in the room they were to stay in while at Pemberly.

"I'm right here. By your side, dear." Charles placed a hand delicately on her head. Jane looked up at him with relief.

"I owe you my life, sir." Jane smiled delicately at him, attempting to make a light joke. "Thank you a thousand times." Charles smiled down at her.

"You are safe now and for every day of the rest of your life." Bingley reassured her. "I will always be right here beside you. You and him." He placed a hand delicately on Jane's stomach, running a thumb along the thin fabric of her dress. Jane raised her eyebrows.

"So sure it is a boy? It might be a beautiful girl…" She sighed, placing her hand on top of his. He smiled at her again, this time with a sparkle in his eye that had before been blotted out by worry.

"If it is I will love her all the more." He acceded. "Merry Christmas, dear."

**Yes, I did decide to end this abruptly. I think it ended the only way it could possibly have. "Merry Christmas, dear." may be slightly corny in our eyes- I would have to agree with you if this were your notion- but to Mr. and Mrs. Bingley it is merely a sweet, simple exchange of words. **

**Thank you for reading and I would really really appreciate reviews!**

**Happy reading,**

**Simplybofa**


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